North Carolina
Department of Health and Human Services

For Release: IMMEDIATE
Date: August 27, 2007

Contact: Debbie Crane

North Carolina has 5th Fattest Adolescents

RALEIGH – North Carolina’s adolescents are the 5th most
overweight in the nation, according to the fourth annual F as in Fat:
How Obesity Policies are Failing in America report released today at
the U.S. Southern Obesity Conference in Little Rock, Ark.

The report, released by Trust for America’s Health, a Washington-based
health advocacy group, examines current policy and grand-scale changes
that need to be considered to combat the growing obesity epidemic.

The ranking comes from data collected by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in January of 2003 through July of 2004, in a random-digit
dialed phone survey of parents about their child’s health. With
19.3 percent of the state’s 10 to 17-year-olds classified as
overweight, North Carolina ranks 5th highest in the country.

“This is a grave concern for us,” said State Health Director
Leah Devlin. “The CDC reports that this generation of kids is
not expected to live as long as their parents because of the health
issues associated with carrying so many extra pounds.”

North Carolina ranks 17th in obesity for adults, according to the
4th edition of F as in Fat. North Carolina’s obesity rate increased
to 26.6 percent in 2006 from 25.9 percent in 2005, while the rate of
overweight adults declined from 36.7 percent in 2005 to 36.2 percent
in 2006. This data is collected through the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System, a random-digit dialed phone survey conducted every
year by the CDC. Survey participants self-report their height and weight,
which is then converted to the Body Mass Index, a number that reflects
body weight adjusted for height.

“This ranking means we have more diabetes, more heart disease
and strokes, not to mention the quality of life issues – depression,
social stigma and ostracizing of obese people in our society,” said
Devlin. “This is particularly true for children, who suffer from
bullying and teasing in school, depression, low self-esteem – these
all impact that child’s ability to succeed in school and in life.”

Devlin says “What we need to do is focus our resources on prevention
and reduction of obesity, by changing state and local policy, and making
our communities places that make healthy choices the easy option. We
need to encourage individuals and families to make healthier decisions
about eating and physical activity, but they can’t do it alone.
Our state must put policies into place to make it easier for people
to make better decisions. We have a plan to do these things and have
made some progress, but we still have a ways to go.” To make
the changes we need to see, Devlin recommends the following:

Fully fund
implementation of elementary school nutrition standards, and establish
standards for middle and high schools.

Encourage non-governmental
agencies to work toward establishing worksite wellness policies
that enable their employees to eat healthy foods
and be more active in the workplace.

Support neighborhood design
that promotes active living.

Mandate that health insurance companies
and HMOs include preventive services related to nutrition and
physical activity

The full report with complete state rankings in all categories is
available on TFAH’s Web site at www.healthyamericans.org.

Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina is a statewide movement that promotes
increased opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity wherever
people live, learn, earn, play and pray. Learn more at www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com